Burbio STEM and CTE Tracker 8/27: Expansion, Grants and Facilities

1. Burbio's Signals Tracker monitors school district discussions nationwide. Clients use the information to get out ahead of district opportunities. The map below indicates the number of districts referencing STEM and CTE expansion since June:

Recent district examples include:

• Denver Public Schools, CO, is considering a $4 million investment to operate and expand its Career and Technical Education Innovation Hubs, supporting instruction, student services, equipment, transportation, and administration across four regional hubs. Planned for 35 programs, the expansion would increase access to CTE and STEM pathways, industry credentials, and concurrent enrollment in high-demand fields.
  
• Hanover County Public Schools, VA, is reviewing new CTE course proposals for the 2026-27 school year as part of broader planning around its Perkins program and ongoing CTE audit. The district is also evaluating updates to health sciences, comprehensive CTE offerings, and work-based learning programs.
  
• Detroit Lakes Public Schools, MN, has identified the preservation and expansion of CTE instructional space as a priority in its facilities planning. The district is evaluating classroom and instructional space improvements that could include renovations or buildouts to support expanded Career and Technical Education programs.

2. Burbio's Construction Tracker measures K-12 activity across all phases, from early discussions to final build-out. Below is a map of current projects that are CTE-focused in our database:

Examples from the map include:

• Cherry Creek School District, CO, is opening Pathways at Overland, a college and career preparedness facility created through renovation of the former IST building. The facility expands access to programs including health sciences, criminal justice, culinary, technology and digital media, with opportunities for industry certifications.
  
• Bibb County School District, GA, is in the earliest stages of exploring approximately 20,000 square feet of dedicated CTE instructional space within the new Macon Arena through a potential partnership with Macon-Bibb County. The proposed space would support hands-on programs including culinary, audiovisual, graphics, and robotics.
  
• Gregory-Portland ISD, TX, is advancing a Career and Technical Education expansion at Gregory-Portland High School, originally funded with $20 million from its 2025 bond program. The district has combined the CTE project with a new Visual and Performing Arts Academic Center, with planned spaces including audio technology, TV and news production studios, and other instructional and collaborative areas.

It is critical to note that Burbio's Construction Tracker also includes district-wide and full-school construction initiatives that are in the early stages and may include CTE facilities but have yet to get that specific, so the map above is only a portion of the opportunity.

3. Burbio's State-Level Funding Tracker continuously tracks state grants for PreK-12 schools and alerts clients as new opportunities are announced, enabling early outreach to eligible districts. STEM and CTE are among the most active areas. Here are some examples of the many grants currently open:

• Arkansas' 2026-27 Modernization Grant provides funding to help public school districts upgrade equipment in existing high-wage, high-demand CTE pathways. Grants cover up to 85% of approved equipment costs, with districts providing a 15% match.
  
  
• Washington's 2026-27 Perkins Grant for Skill Centers provides awards of up to $122,000 to support CTE programs and career preparation.

Here are some grants in their spending period. Burbio will post the "districts awarded" as they are announced:

• California's FY 2026-27 Perkins V program provides $64 million to support the improvement and expansion of CTE programs for high school districts, charter high schools, and county offices of education.
  
  
• Michigan's FY26 Robotics Competition Grant allocated $5.6 million to expand K-12 STEM and robotics programs, including $5 million for public schools and $600,000 for nonpublic schools. Funding supports robotics competition fees, materials, travel, and coaching stipends.

• Mississippi's FY27 K-8 STEM Initiative Enhancement Project Grant offers districts up to $20,000 to establish or expand K-8 STEM programs. Funding can be used for computer science, engineering, and robotics equipment, software, and hardware.